The young Belgian footballer Lois Openda is currently attracting the most attention in the French media. Lens’ goal scorer came to the fore due to the great results of ‘Les Sang et Or’, and while he is fighting for the title with Paris Saint-Germain and a direct placement in the Champions League, media portals that thrive on sensational transfer speculations have already moved him to Arsenal, Newcastle… However, before the opening match of the 35th round of Ligue 1 against Reims, Openda said that he is not interested in any of that right now and that his only goal is to lead the attack of the team from the north of France in the elite competition next season.The 23-year-old Belgian of Moroccan and Congolese descent has ‘exploded’ especially since the beginning of March. He scored 10 goals in the last nine league matches, with two assists, and now with a total of 19 goals, he ranks fourth on the list of scorers in French top tier. Only PSG’s Kylian Mbappe (24), Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette (24) and Lille’s Jonathan David (21) scored more.🗣️| Basile Boli on Lois Openda: “His price will be between 30 and 40 million euros. It will be difficult for RC Lens to keep him. His agent is behind the scenes working on a transfer, and I have heard that Arsenal are following him closely.” [La Derniere Heur via HITC] #afc pic.twitter.com/cojuYPf6mn— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) May 12, 2023 Lens have a golden opportunity to cash in on the transfer of his striker, but Openda is in no hurry to leave the club.”I know there is a lot of noise, but I remain calm. I didn’t work this hard just to have something distract me now. It’s nice, of course, when you’re praised. It feels good, but I must not listen to what others are saying and writing,” said Openda, who recently received the Player of the Month award (March).”The award is in the closet, I don’t think about it anymore. I have a contract with Lens until 2027, I’m happy here. I hope to write history with the club, to leave a deeper mark”.Openda was the scorer in the last three matches. He shook the net of Monaco (3-0) twice, then Toulouse (1-0) and Olympique Marseille (2-1) with one goal against each. That streak could continue tonight against Reims, the 10th-placed team in the table, which no longer has any competitive ambitions. Survival has long been assured, and after three consecutive defeats in April (a negative run broken in the last round by a win over Lille), the fifth position leading to the Conference League is unattainable. It is Lille who have nine points more than Reims, and there are four more teams between them.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Therefore, the host is definitely more motivated, the maximum performance in the remaining four rounds guarantees it a direct placement in the group stage of the Champions League. The third place, will probably be confirmed this weekend if they beat Reims. Fourth-placed Monaco have eight points less, and on Sunday they play against fifth-placed Lille.In the first half of the season, at the beginning of September last year, Reims and Lens both scored a goal each at Stade Auguste Delaune. Reims’ top scorer Folarin Balogun (who is on loan from Arsenal has 17 goals) scored back then, giving his team the lead in the 71st minute. However, Openda equalized the score in the 82nd and brought Lens a valuable point.LIGUE 1 – MATCHDAY 35Friday 22.00: (1.58) Lens (4.10) Reims (6.00)Saturday 18.00: (2.52) Strasbourg (3.40) Nice (3.10)22.00: (1.15) PSG (10.0) Ajaccio (16.0)Sunday 14.00: (4.30) Clermont (3.60) Olympique Lyon (1.89)16.00: (1.94) Montpellier (3.60) Lorient (4.50)16.00: (2.30) Brest (3.35) Auxerre (3.50)16.00: (1.29) Rennes (6.50) Troyes (10.5)16.00: (2.24) Toulouse (3.50) Nantes (3.45)18.05: (2.80) Monaco (3.45) Lille (2.50)21.45: (1.24) Olympique Marseille (7.75) Angers (16.0)***odds are subject to change***
